Oban

This is night No.9/2019 living in my caravan. Now at the Oban C&CC Site near Connel, around 15 miles north of Oban. A bit of a ‘Glasgow Prestwick’ going on here!

Not bad at £39.90 for 3 nights at this excellent site. I’ve been here many times before, but never in a caravan. I believe I was last here on 22nd August 2016 in my camper van.

I was very keen to get away. This would be the first trip in my new Eriba 530GT and I am eagerly wanting to try out the facilities like fixed bed and hot water! Spookily, my first trip in my old 320GT was one year and one day earlier on 2/4/17!

I’d booked the site last night at home. Come the morning, I was seriously doubting whether or not it was a good idea. It was blowing an absolute hooly when I awoke. It was also pissing down. However, as the morning drew on, the wind died and the rain got a little lighter.

I left home around 1100 for what I estimated would be a journey of around 4hrs. Hooked up the van, and left heading down the A90 to Dundee, then Perth, and followed the A85 across to the west.

Unfortunately, I heard on the radio that a tree had come down on the A85 near Crieff, but a diversion had been put in place.  

The diversion was not well signposted from Crieff, so I stopped and took the dogs around a rather fine park in Crieff I’d never been to or even heard of!

I continued the trip, following a detour which eventually led to Comrie and I was eventually back on my original route. I’ve done this route hundreds of times whilst climbing the Munros and the road is very familiar.

The van was towing like a dream. It was breezy and despite the narrow diversion, and the road up Loch Earn, it was just excellent to tow. What a cracking machine.

My route took me across the lovely Connel Bridge.

We arrived at the site a bit later, around 1545. Got pitched up without the need for the mover (!), and put out (for the first time ever) the ‘wastemaster’ tank. This van is well equipped.

Its a nice site, and I think I have the nicest van here!

This guy was probably a bit over the top with the decals!

Took the dogs out for a great walk around the adjacent forest, the rather fine ‘Sutherlands Grove’. It has probably the best gorge I have ever walked down.